Engulfed by Darkness Purged by Light
by ice-kestrel9
Summary: She was drawn to him. He did not acknowledge her existence. This is their story. A Karel x Serra pairing, though not much of a “pairing” in the strictest of sense. A response to SpeedDemon315’s challenge.
1. Part 1

Engulfed by Darkness,

_**Ice Kestrel:**_ I think this is my first fanfiction… huh. The first to be published actually. I'm working on at least six different ones at the same time (not such a good idea). Hope I did justice on this one. Part 2 and 3 to be up soon. Real soon.

**Disclaimer- **I do not own Fire Emblem, I merely play the games.

--

She thought he would be startled by her intimidating appearance but he didn't so much as bat an eyelash at her feral presence.

She believed he would fall for her charm, much like his predecessors had, to their somewhat demise, but he only silenced her with a cold glare from his golden piercing eyes.

She sought to uncover his true character hidden beneath his monstrous acts, but he shrouded himself further in his own darkness, away from her shining light.

She was drawn to him.

He did not acknowledge her existence.

This is their story.

--

"I'm _soooooooooooo_ bored!" a voice whined from somewhere among the foliage.

The leaves rustled as a gentle breeze wound through the forest, the air silent, save the chirpings of a few birds. A lone cleric sat perched daintily on the edge of a large rock, fiddling with the azure staff in her hands. It had been trying her patience, her new assignment; Lord Hector had ordered her to remain behind, away from danger as he led the front lines in a direct assault against the enemies. Being a healer as opposed to a fighter, Serra's skills would be put to greater use behind their lines, attending to the wounded and out of any opponent's striking distance.

Serra sighed once more, as she pondered why nothing could spark her interest; it would be a long day after all.

--

Karel peered over the branch on which he sat, his bored gaze scanning the battlefield below him. None of them were worth his time, he concluded.

He perked up at the sound of faint footsteps behind him, his right hand instinctively reaching for the scarlet blade by his side.

The feast has begun.

He crouched low on the branch, doing one final sweep of his surroundings, and slipped off into the forest.

The woods had become eerily silent as Karel progressed deeper into the dense undergrowth, his steps silent, his breath held.

_There._

The swordmaster closed his eyes, all senses alert, as he stood rigid along a tall oak tree. With both hands on the hilt of his sword, Karel pulled back into position.

………

………

_Now._

The Sword Demon leapt into action, his sword a mere blur in an intricate pattern of flashes. It was all part of one smooth line of movement, a dance really, as Karel wove in and out of the woods. Up, down, slash, whirl, twist, turn, and… pause.

Karel turned around, his eyes now opened and narrowed as he looked over the corpses that littered the clearing. The sword in his hand was stained as it dripped, coloring the green grass a brilliant shade of red.

He turned around, and looked straight into the eyes of a startled cleric, her mouth agape.

She screamed. Really really loudly. He almost winced.

--

"**What do you mean, no?!" **Serra demanded angrily. "I want him gone, _**now!**_"

Hector winced as he rubbed his aching head. "I'm sorry, Serra, but he's an invaluable member of our army."

It was true, as the swordmaster had single-handedly obliterated an entire raiding party without breaking a sweat.

"His skills are legendary, and greatly needed among our ranks. Besides," Hector added, his eyebrow raised, "he _did_ save your life back there."

"Lord Hector!" the cleric whined, "He's disturbed, and icky, and he scares me! How can I work with those evil eyes staring at me all the time? It ruins my beauty and my concentration!" She sniffed pitifully and whimpered. "How can you do this to me? I've been the perfect help to you and this is how you repay me?"

Hector threw his hands up in frustration. "For the last time, Serra, _**No.**_ Karel is here as a part of our group. Stay away from him, and do your job." With that, the armored lord bid her farewell and took leave.

--

While the rest of the company retired to their tents after dark, Karel preferred sitting out next to the campfire, under the stars. The sentries on duty for the night were smart as to leave him in peace and not bother him; no one dared approach the Sword Demon in fear of his skill, and his thirst for blood. The rumors spreading across camp like a wildfire did not help much with the matter either.

It was here that Serra chose to determinedly march up to Karel and give him a piece of her mind.

The swordmaster sat unmoving, his back turned to the others as he synchronized to the rhythm of the night's tranquilities.

"You there! Karel!"

The shrill voice brought his distasteful gaze onto the cleric who stood a few feet away, her arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently.

"Who do you think you are? I'll have you know there are ways things run around here, and as the dutiful cleric of this company, it is my responsibility to inform you of such things. As _senior _cleric here, you must keep away from me. However, you must also follow all of my orders and do my every bidding. Furthermore-"

"I do not waste time on one of no significance to me."

Serra paused, her face twisted in rage as she shrieked, "What did you say?!"

Karel did not look at her, but continued in a quiet tone, "You do not interest me; you possess no skills in fighting, whether among the weapons or magical arts. I sense no potential in you whatsoever, so stop wasting your time and leave."

By now, Serra had become quite red in the face. "You- you are _sooooooooo_ annoying! What, you do nothing but fight?"

Karel scoffed. "If you insist on being difficult, then by all means, show me you can prove some sort of challenge to satiate my boredom. Prove to me I am wrong and you truly _are_ worth my time."

"You," Serra screamed at him, "are insufferable. Ergh! I am _so_ fed up with you!" She stormed off muttering to herself through clenched teeth.

From the tree where he sat, watching the whole thing, Matthew could have sworn the Sword Demon was smiling.

--

"Lucius!! Get over here now!"

The befuddled monk frantically pushed his way out of his tent, his eyes wide as he approached the fuming cleric. "Y-yes, Sister Serra?"

"Teach me how to use light magic. NOW!"

--

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Special thanks to SpeedDemon315 for this challenge. Review! Flame if you must but give a solid reason. Flame and hate randomly and you will see death at the blade of the Black Fang assassins. You have been warned. :D


	2. Part 2

Engulfed by Darkness; Purged by Light

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Thank you to everyone who have reviewed for my story so far! I'm too tired to sent separate messages to everyone, so… yeah. Anyways, here's part 2. Hope I did it justice here. **Disclaimer-** I do not own Fire Emblem. And any parts that resemble the original game script are by pure chance and/or from memory. I did not consult the script, nor did I intend it, but I may have paraphrased it.

_**Canas:**_ Well, if I do say so myself, this is when it gets interesting. You see-

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Canas, don't ruin it for everyone.

_**Canas: **_Very well then. Read on.

--

Karel sighed, exasperated, as he rubbed his forehead, his patience wearing thinner by the second as he longed to give in to the urge thrust his blade through the one in front of him.

"But Master Karel, please! Please take me in as your student!" The young myrmidon looked up, his eyes shining full of hopes and dreams.

The Sword Demon only scoffed as he looked away. "You, pup? You waste in my time. You're no challenge to me."

"Then train me! Train me to become the greatest swordmaster in all of Sacae, and challenge me then! I'll prove to be an opponent worthy of your time!"

The leaves in the trees rustled as a gentle breeze rode across the sky; Karel stiffened, his eyes flashing dangerously. Someone was watching…

He grinned. "Very well, pup. I will train you. But be warned- it will not be easy, and in one year's time, I will face you. And you will die."

Guy, on the other hand, did not flinch, but bowed awkwardly and exclaimed, "Thank you, Master Karel!"

"Now get out of here," Karel headed toward a particular spot behind Guy, who nearly jumped to the side, in fear of getting too close, and scampered off in the opposite direction.

Karel stopped in front of a bush, his hand on the hilt of his sword. This could be messy.

--

After much practice, Serra finally mastered the arts of light magic. Or rather, after much hassling of the poor monk, the wonderfully talented cleric easily grasped the skills (which she's always had) required to handle the Shine tome (which said monk had used to haggle his way to freedom).

Either way, Serra was ready. Ready to prove to that obnoxious swordmaster just _who_ she was.

With a slight amount of sweet-talk, she has managed to squeeze out some information from one of the sentries on duty that day; Sain was happy to oblige to Serra's inquiries about the whereabouts of the mysterious Sword Demon, though he could not comprehend why a sweet cleric such as her would have any business with the swordmaster.

It was in the forest that Serra crouched down, concealed by the foliage, as she observed the two figures in the clearing before her. One of them, with the silly-looking green braid, appeared to be begging. The other was… Karel.

No, it wasn't. Wait… Serra frowned slightly, as she squinted and looked carefully. The sword by his side, glowing eerily, was definitely the same. But it didn't _look_ like Karel. From here, he looked, well, he looked _striking._

Serra shook her head, hard. No, this is no time to be all dreamy about someone, especially not the someone who insulted her.

She peered through the leaves again, watching, and could not help but notice the stream of sunlight shining through the trees, illuminating the clearing. The way his eyes sparkled in the light, his flashing smile, the proud air around him…

A gentle breeze rode across the sky, stirring up the flowers in its wake. Serra sniffed. Ach-

She clasped both hands over her mouth, dropping her Shine tome with a slight thud.

_-choo…_

Frantically, she glanced through the bushes once again, her eyes wide in alarm. Had he heard? No, surely no one could have heard that. Unless they were _inhuman_ or something…

A shadow fell over her.

She looked up and gulped. This could get messy…

--

"It's rude to stare, you know."

"I know that!" Serra huffed indignantly. "And why do you care? I am of no significance to you, remember?"

"Then what do you want?" Karel was at the edge of his patience by now, as he looked over the cleric in front of him; she stared back, nervously fingering the Shine tome she held in her hands. "Surely you're not thinking of challenging me, are you?" he asked, mildly curious. "Unless," he retorted, "you wish to die, here and now."

Instead of responding, Serra whipped open her tome and uttered the proper incantation, pleased to see the bolts of light engulf the swordmaster. She squinted in the midst of the afternoon sun, among the clouds of dust, searching for signs of movement. Her fingers ran nervously up and down the tome, her eyes shifting back and forth.

"Not too bad."

She whirled around, eyes wide in alarm as the Sword Demon came into view from behind. When did he get there? There was no time to ponder as Karel reached for his sword, smirking.

"Perhaps you _do_ possess the potential to become of some significance. However," the tip of his blade hovered only inches from her throat as she gulped. "you have attempted a feat far surpassing your pitiful level."

Why did her magic have no effect on him? Was he so evil, shrouded by darkness, no amount of light could penetrate it?

Serra backed up slowly. Perhaps this was the end for the majestic cleric known as Serra, to fall at the hands of one such as the Sword Demon. It was no contest from the beginning. Oh, how the world is cruel like so!

"Fool…"

A sword piercing through flesh.

Pain jolt through her side as the reek of blood filled the air.

And the last Serra knew was that she would die. No… it was that Karel… had a really… _really_ nice… smile…

--

Serra groaned slightly as she cracked open an eye, wincing as the last rays of the setting sun nearly blinded her.

"The princess wakes!" a voice called down from somewhere above her.

"Matthew?" She carefully heaved herself up, wincing as the world spun around her. "Wha- what happened?"

"I suppose I should be the one asking you!" Matthew exclaimed from the tree where he sat. "I come into this clearing on Lord Hector's orders to retrieve you, and what do I find? You on the ground, lying in a puddle of your own blood! And who to be beside you, but that Sword Demon himself."

Serra glanced at her side, where her dress, usually kept clean and pristine, was now dusty and drenched in a dark red liquid. "But, I don't understand. His sword… and…"

"Well, you're lucky he took pity on you or something."

"What do you mean?" She staggered across the field, and clutched the edge of Matthew's tree, feeling off after her bout with Karel.

"That guy makes absolutely no sense at all," Matthew sighed. "He fixed you up with an elixir he had or something. That was when I found you two; you were barely alive, and he was just… there."

Serra reached for her side, feeling the area where Karel's sword had pierced her, expecting a gauging hole or a scar. Instead, she felt nothing- nothing at all. "I'm… okay?" she stammered, looking at Matthew quizzically.

Matthew shrugged. "Like I said, he took pity on you or something. You know, it's odd. Rumor has it that the Sword Demon has no emotions or feelings. It's out of place, and they all say he enjoys nothing more than killing and spilling blood. Furthermore-"

Serra was not listening. "He saved me," she whispered to herself. "He _does_ like me… Karel…" she sighed. "How did I not see this before? Your dazzling smile, your fierce determination… ohh…"

"…and how he wiped out an entire division of the royal army by himself, while blindfolded too. And a pirate once told me of his slaying of the most feared sage who terrorized the seas with his thunder magic. And there was that one tale on how he-"

"… that's so sweet of him! He knew I would challenge him, so he would have a chance to reveal his true self to me. Karel…" Serra reached for her Shine tome, and brushed away the dust that covered it. "I need to find him and tell him…"

"There was also that one time someone tried to kill him in his sleep at night. Too bad the Sword Demon doesn't sleep. Heard that bloke disappeared and no one knows of his fate. And that one wyvernrider from Bern, pompous fool, he- wait, Serra!"

Serra did not respond, but continued walking onwards determinedly.

"Hey- _hey!_ Where do you think you're going?!" Matthew called down from his perch. "Don't tell me you're-"

"To find Karel…" Serra sighed dreamily.

"_What?!_" Matthew leapt off of the branch, dropping into her path. He clasped both hands on her shoulders and, shaking furiously, shouted, "Are you out of your mind??"

By all normal means, Serra would have been up in his face about touching her and proper behavior towards a lady such as herself; however, this Serra only blinked and shrugged.

"You can't!" Matthew cried in disbelief. "Do you _know_ what he'll _do_ to you?" Before she could utter a reply, he cut her off abruptly. "He'll _**kill**_ you. D'you hear me? He's a madman! he's practically inhuman!"

This managed to snap Serra out of her trance. "Don't talk about my Karel like that!" she shrieked, shoving Matthew out of her way. "What do _you_ know about love?"

Matthew froze as Serra's sharp words pierced through his heart like a shard of ice.

Serra, too, realized her error as she stammered, "I- I didn't mean… oh, Matthew…"

Matthew looked at her almost pleadingly. "Serra, don't do this. Look, I understand how you feel. Your loneliness… your desire to belong, to feel special in this world…" He broke off and coughed, slightly embarrassed. "Please. I don't want- I don't want to see anything terrible happen to you. Not like Leila…" In a low voice, he added, "Forget Karel. I'll- I'll be your boyfriend."

"Aww, Matthew, that's so sweet! But," She smirked, "my heart already belongs to another. You're just jealous he asked first." With a light toss of her pink hair, she sauntered off calling at the top of her voice, "Karel--! Where are you?"

Matthew shook his head, feeling helpless as he watched Serra stroll off into an unavoidable confrontation from which she would walk away injured- physically, or emotionally.

--

"Have you seen him?" she asked, her high-pitched voice strained with urgency.

Erk slowly backed away, wary of her sporadic tantrums. "He went over there," he pointed, "with that new girl. What are you-"

"He _what?_" Serra shrieked. Erk winced as Serra stomped up to him, hands in the air. "What new girl?? What is he _thinking_? What's so better about that girl? What's wrong with me? There's nothing wrong with me! Right?" She glared at him. "You're coming with me this instant!"

"Miss Serra, wait-" Erk faltered as Serra clutched the edge of his cloak and dragged him over the hill to the clearing where he had pointed to.

"How _dare _he turn on me like that," she muttered through clenched teeth. "Does he _know_ who I am? I am Serra, the wonderful, most terrific, and beautiful cleric in all of Elibe!"

"Miss Serra-"

"Not now, Erk! We have to do something about this."

"But you don't-"

"I said not now, Erk!" Serra brushed aside the branches of a low tree and entered the clearing. "_Karel!!_"

The swordmaster glanced over at where the two had entered, his ever-malicious eyes glowering.

"How _dare_ you cheat on me like this!" Serra screamed at the top of her lungs. A rustle of leaves sounded as every bird in a five-mile radius flew at top speed, escaping with their lives. "Have you _no sympathy_?! I do all I can to please you and you run off with the first girl you bump into!!"

Erk desperately waved his hands in front of Serra. "Please, Serra! Listen to me-"

"No, _you_ listen to _me_!" Serra ranted on, "I work my poor self to death trying to please you and all you do is-"

"Serra, will you just let me-"

"You let me finish!" Serra stomped her foot in frustration. "I'll-"

"You'll what?" Karel snarled quietly.

"Oooh, you're so annoying!" With that, she swung her tome at him with all her might.

It never touched him.

She gasped as he easily brushed aside the book with his left hand, the other reaching slowly for the crimson sword by his side.

"Brother, wait," a quiet voice interrupted.

Serra blinked,

"Serra," Erk managed to finally gasp out," _that's his sister!_"

"What- did you say?" Serra squeaked out quietly.

"Karla. Is. His. _Sister_."

--

_**Ice Kestrel: **_I am not responsible for anyone who dies of suspense here. Go ask Lyon to necromance you back or something.

_**Lyon: **_I'm a bit busy at the moment, but… urgh… (evil grin) Fools. You have no idea.

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Okay… moving on. Flame randomly at your own risk. Review! Tell me what you honestly think! Hang in there! Conclusion to be up real soon.

_**Canas:**_So in conclusion, the story will follow the examples of-

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Canas, who are you talking to?


	3. Part 3

Engulfed by Darkness; Purged by Light pt

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Ahhh! Procrastinators unite. Later! Delayed a bit on part 2. Had some issues with the mushy parts. Anyways, I have somehow miscalculated and included parts of part 3 in part 2, so now part 2 is longer than expected, and part 3 is short. Still with me? Okay. **Disclaimer-** I do not own Fire Emblem. If anything sounds cliché, sorry but I did not copy from anyone and my work is my own.

_**Jaffar: **_…

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Uh, okay… Let's move on, shall we?

--

The sad truth was, Serra realized, there was a strong family resemblance between the two- their long ebony hair, the twin swords by their sides, the proud Sacaen swordmaster air about them, and even the cold, impassive glare from their narrowed eyes.

Erk took one nervous glance at Karel and gulped. "I'll… be going now…" he squeaked under the impassive gaze of the swordmaster.

As his pounding footsteps receded into the silent forest, Karel sheathed his sword and slowly approached Serra. "Do not waste my time with trifle misunderstandings," he spat. "Tell me now before I give in to my sword's undying thirst for your blood."

"I… I…" Serra sniffed as she wiped away the stream of tears falling from her glittering blue eyes. "Oh, why can't you see it, Karel? I love you." She broke off sobbing, her tome dropped to the ground beside her with a thud.

Karel did not respond.

The night's stillness echoed the cleric's heartfelt weeping, the leaves swaying gently, the moonlight illuminating the area with a soft glow.

Serra's sobbing did not cease. Karel shifted slightly. This was becoming rather pitiful.

"Why, Karel? Why didn't you kill me then? Why did you save me?"

Silence.

"Why don't you every show your feelings? Do you ever only enjoy spilling blood? Are you really what everyone says you are- a Sword _Demon_? Inhuman. Unstable. Cruel and uncaring and-"

"Dear St. Elimine's sake, listen to yourself," he hissed reproachfully. Serra stifled another sob and looked up in surprise. "You don't love me; you never will. You are, perhaps, the most selfish, ill-conceited, spoiled cleric in all of Elibe."

Serra's mouth hung open, as she, for perhaps the first time in her life, remained speechless.

Karel, however, merely looked off into the darkened sky and continued, "Anything you cannot have, you desire the more desperately. You believe the world is there to answer to your biddings, yet you fail to see how no one wants to deal with you. You cannot stand the idea of anyone rejecting you so you search- for ones who will serve you. To accompany you, and make you feel _special_. And that is precisely why you are alone in this world, incased by your own darkness."

"Give up." The simple words he uttered shook her to the core. "This was a battle you were destined to lose from the start. You cannot win me over. You never will." The edge of his mouth twitched into what could almost be called a smile as the Sword Demon whispered, almost wistfully, "My heart already belongs to another."

Karel turned, his eyes narrowed. Without another word, he strolled off into the night.

Serra sniffed and wiped away the last of her tears.

"Don't feel _too_ bad."

Startled, she turned to find Karla leaning against the trunk of a tree, calmly staring back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"The way of the sword," Karla waved as she turned to leave, "can be a cruel mistress. For it consumes what it can and leaves nothing behind."

Was it her delusions due to the pain in her heart, or did it seem that Karla's last statement was tinged with sadness identical to hers? Serra leaned over and picked up her tome from where she had dropped it, hugging it close to her.

Why? Oh, why…

The first of the stars shone brilliantly in the dark sky, as Serra stood in the clearing alone, thinking. Pondering. Reflecting.

From up in the trees, Matthew sighed as he watched a single tear trickle down her cheek, glistening under the moonlight as it fell.

--

Those final words of his were the greatest gift to her, as it brought light to matters obscured from her before.

That last image of his faint smile never cleared from her mind.

He walks on, sword in hand, his back forever turned on her shining light.

She stands, and watches as the sun sets.

And the world is engulfed by darkness.

And as the sun rises.

And the world is purged by light.

--

**End.**

--

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Whew, finished before the deadline. Finally completed something. Whoo!

_**Jaffar: **_…

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Deadline extended?? What?

_**Jaffar: **_…

_**Ice Kestrel: **_Well, thanks for reading. Hope you liked it. Or not. Review! Flame if you feel appropriate, but give a solid reason backing up your statements. Random flames will be met with steel daggers at the throat. You have been warned.

_**Jaffar: **_…


End file.
